June 2020
Congratulations 2020 Graduates!
From The Director
Over the past month, the library has worked towards a safe return to traditional services. Our plan and procedures have been carefully considered and guided by the CDC, state and local health authorities, and advice from Mid-Hudson Library System. During this process a Reopening Plan, Hygiene Protocol, Proactive Infection Plan, and Safety Addendum to the Patron Code of Conduct have been created and posted on our website. A Business Affirmation has been filed with New York Forward; our New York Business Safety Plan is posted.
Staff were trained in safety procedures via a workshop from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, videos from the CDC, and virtual staff meetings. Staff will be working in small teams using social distancing, masks, and strict hand hygiene.
For now, RHPL's hours are reduced. Staff will be on site from 11am to 5pm Monday through Saturday to answer your questions and receive requests for contactless pickup. The building is not yet open to the public.
As of June 1st, you can make requests via an online form, or by calling. Pickups are 12pm - 4 pm, Mondays through Saturdays. Items ordered before noon can be picked up the next day. Items ordered after noon can be picked up the day after that. Items ordered on Saturday or Sunday can be picked up on Tuesday. At this time, because the Mid-Hudson Library System is not delivering yet, you can only order materials owned by RHPL. You will find a brief tutorial on finding RHPL items here.
When you arrive to pick up materials, please remain in your car and call the library. Staff will place your items on a cart in the designated pick-up location. Once you see your items and staff has returned to the building, feel free to retrieve your items.
All persons on library grounds must maintain strict distances of 6’ from each other and wear masks. There will be a box near the pickup area where you can place returns. You can also use the return dropbox on the front porch for all materials, including DVDs and other media.
Staff contacts
All phone calls: 845-758-3241
Dawn: director@redhooklibrary.org
Paul: assistant@redhooklibrary.org
Amy: Amy@redhooklibrary.org
Renee: programcoordinator@redhoooklibrary.org
Circulation Desk Staff: rhlibrarystaff@gmail.com
SRP Coming Soon
Our World: Big, Small, Near & Far
RHPL's popular summer camps will be virtual this summer! In Our World: Big, Small, Near & Far, kids in age groups 5 - 7 and 8 - 12 will explore their connections with the community, the nation, and the planet. Inspiration, instructions, and ideas will be delivered via ClassDojo where kids who wish to can safely upload words, photos, and video for greater interaction with their peers. Every weekday for the month of July, there will be new activities to do, primarily off-line.
In the first week, Small World, kids explore micro-worlds with Citizen Science projects about ants and moths, miniature dioramas in Nature, and other projects about all things tiny.
In Near World, projects focus on connections within our community. Individual maps of where we go everyday combine into a web of community interactions. Samples of dirt from around town contribute to Citizen Science. Experiences with geocaching, and interviewing neighbors round out the week.
In Big Worlds, we look at the ways in which our community is connected with other places, countries, and people. What are the climates where our food is grown? In what countries are our clothes made? We combine these discoveries with investigations of animal migration and human immigration to create a collaborative atlas of connections between Red Hook and the world.
Finally in Far Worlds, we look at our connections to the planet and outer space. We use wax-resist to paint galaxies, chart moon observations, and experiment with sunlight.
Activities specially designed for the older group include conducting interviews to later turn into podcasts, creating short films, and using map-making software!
Our World: Big, Small, Near & Far allows your family the flexibility to follow along week-to-week, or use the activities as best suits your needs and schedules. For some activities there will be supply packs you can get from the library.
Sign-ups open on June 10 and are required for safe access to ClassDojo. Email amy@redhooklibrary.org with questions.
In the Know
Local Restaurants & Businesses
Red Hook's local businesses have suffered losses and need our support. Find out what our local restaurants are offering here. To facilitate communication, Red Hook Chamber of Commerce has assembled a Business Directory of contacts here. You may also wish to browse We’re Still Open Hudson Valley, a resource where you can find out who's open locally and what they are offering.
For additional resources, from emotional support hotlines to unemployment information, visit the Coronavirus News and Resources page on our website.
Farewell Patrizia & Peg
 Saying goodbye is always hard to do. Patrizia has been a perpetual light in the library for 7 years. You may know Patrizia from one of the many Italian Language classes "La Dolce Lingua" she has offered over the years, or her wonderful conversational Italian group. Patrizia's friendly, warm presence at the circulation desk will be missed by all.
 This month we also bid farewell to Peg. Starting out as a volunteer Peg soon came on board as a clerk with good humor and a cheerful disposition. We will miss her keen insight as well as her helpfulness and excellent service to library patrons.
Thank you, Patrizia and Peg! You will both be missed, by patrons and coworkers alike. But we also know you will bring smiles wherever you go. Best wishes on your next adventures.
Library Journal’s Star Libraries
We're proud to announce RHPL has been named one of Library Journal’s 2019 “Star Libraries," with five stars! This past year 6,333 U.S. public libraries qualified to be rated resulting in 261 Star Libraries, and 85 receiving 5-Star designations. Thank you to our community for making this possible. Check out Library Journal’s complete index here and the metrics used here.
|
